Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction, Isabel L. Beck, Margaret G. McKeown, Linda Kucan. Guilford Press, 2002. Creating Robust Vocabulary: Frequently asked questions and extended examples, Isabel L. Beck, Margaret G. McKeown, Linda Kucan. Guilford Press, 2008. For the Love of Words: Vocabulary instruction that works, Diane E. Paynter, Elena Bodrova, Jane K. Doty. Jossey-Bass, 2005.
This list is useful for describing how a character feels at the beginning of a story, at the climax or when a problem occurs and when the problem is resolved. When asked how someone feels, many students with vocabulary deficits will reply with "happy, sad" or "mad." Introducing new emotion words can help them to expand their vocabularies with respect to feelings. http://its-a-writer-thing.tumblr.com/image/58375712833
Online English Language Learner's Dictionary
Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary is an excellent resource for developing student-friendly definitions of vocabulary targets. http://learnersdictionary.com/
Read-aloud Activity Development Worksheet
Use this worksheet to help guide yourself through the process of developing vocabulary targets, definitions and engagement stimuli from a picture book that you will share with your students.
The "What would it mean?" activity is particularly helpful to assist students to expand their understanding of new vocabulary words and to improve their ability to take another person's perspective.
The "Words Worth" activity can assist students to distinguish between shades of meaning of related words. Distinguishing between shades of meaning is a language skill needed in several grade levels in the Common Core State Standards in grades K-6.
Several activities address understanding of idioms and proverbs as well as prefixes, suffixes and root words, skills referenced in the Common Core State Standards for Language.
Review previously taught vocabulary words in this activity. Select 5 words from the students' vocabulary targets and write one word in each green box at the top of the page. Students take turns rolling a die and performing the task indicated at the bottom of the card. To simplify the activity for younger students, use only tasks 1, 2 and 3.
Vocabulary Homework Sheet
A half-sheet activity page that can be sent home with students to prompt review of story elements and vocabulary targets outside of the speech/language therapy setting.
Recommended Texts
Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction, Isabel L. Beck, Margaret G. McKeown, Linda Kucan. Guilford Press, 2002.Creating Robust Vocabulary: Frequently asked questions and extended examples, Isabel L. Beck, Margaret G. McKeown, Linda Kucan. Guilford Press, 2008.
For the Love of Words: Vocabulary instruction that works, Diane E. Paynter, Elena Bodrova, Jane K. Doty. Jossey-Bass, 2005.
Antonyms
Grade Level Antonym word lists.Author Websites
A list of children's authors with links to lesson plans and activities for their books.http://www.webenglishteacher.com/childlit.html
Character Trait Vocabulary Words
This list of words can be used to expand students' vocabularies when describing characters in literature.http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson175/traits.pdf
Emotion Vocabulary Words
This list is useful for describing how a character feels at the beginning of a story, at the climax or when a problem occurs and when the problem is resolved. When asked how someone feels, many students with vocabulary deficits will reply with "happy, sad" or "mad." Introducing new emotion words can help them to expand their vocabularies with respect to feelings.http://its-a-writer-thing.tumblr.com/image/58375712833
Online English Language Learner's Dictionary
Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary is an excellent resource for developing student-friendly definitions of vocabulary targets.http://learnersdictionary.com/
Read-aloud Activity Development Worksheet
Use this worksheet to help guide yourself through the process of developing vocabulary targets, definitions and engagement stimuli from a picture book that you will share with your students.Reading Resource Printable Vocabulary Activities
Many printable vocabulary activities.http://www.readingresource.net/vocabularyactivities.html
Scholastic Book Wizard
Enter the book title and/or author. Reading level, purchase information and lesson plans (for some books) are available.http://bookwizard.scholastic.com/tbw/homePage.do?ESP=TBW/ib/20081222/eng/tbw_logo///thlp/img////
Scholastic Flash Card Maker
Enter up to 16 words and their definitions into the Flash Card Maker to create flash cards for vocabulary review.http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/search?query=__flash__ card maker
Scholastic Spelling Wizard
Enter up to 10 vocabulary words into the Spelling Wizard to create a word search puzzle and a scrambled words puzzle.http://www.scholastic.com/kids/homework/spelling.htm
Shades of Meaning
Vocabulary Bingo
Review previously taught vocabulary words in this activity. Select 5 words from the students' vocabulary targets and write one word in each green box at the top of the page. Students take turns rolling a die and performing the task indicated at the bottom of the card. To simplify the activity for younger students, use only tasks 1, 2 and 3.Vocabulary Homework Sheet
A half-sheet activity page that can be sent home with students to prompt review of story elements and vocabulary targets outside of the speech/language therapy setting.Wordnik
An online English dictionary and thesaurus that also includes example sentences, pictures and pronunciations of vocabulary words. www.wordnik.com